The Expendables (2010)
The Expendables is a 2010 American ensemble action film written by David Callaham, and also written and directed by Sylvester Stallone, who also starred in the lead role. The film co-stars Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, David Zayas, Giselle Itié, Gary Daniels, Terry Crews and Mickey Rourke. The film was released in the United States on August 13, 2010. It is the first installment in The Expendables film series. This was Dolph Lundgren's first theatrical release film since 1995's Johnny Mnemonic, and Steve Austin's last theatrical release film until 2013's Grown Ups 2. The film is about a group of elite mercenaries tasked with a mission to overthrow a Latin American dictator whom they soon discover to be a mere puppet controlled by a ruthless ex-CIA officer James Munroe. It pays tribute to the blockbuster action films of the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was distributed by Lionsgate. The Expendables received mixed reviews, praising the action scenes, but criticizing the lack of story. However, it was commercially successful, opening at number one at the box office in the United States, the United Kingdom, China and India. A sequel was released on August 17, 2012. Plot The Expendables, a group of elite mercenaries based in New Orleans, deploy to the Gulf of Aden to save hostages on a vessel from Somali pirates. The team consists of leader Barney Ross (Stallone), former British SAS soldier and blades specialist Lee Christmas (Statham), martial artist Yin Yang (Li), sniper Gunner Jensen (Lundgren), weapons specialist Hale Caesar (Crews) and demolitions expert Toll Road (Couture). Jensen instigates a firefight, causing casualties for the pirates. Jensen then tries to hang a pirate, but Yang physically stops him when Ross and the team discourage it. Ross then reluctantly discharges Jensen from the team due to his psychological problems and drug use. Later, Christmas is upset to discover his girlfriend Lacy (Charisma Carpenter) has left him for another man. Ross and rival mercenary leader Trench Mauser (Arnold Schwarzenegger) visit a man called "Mr. Church" (Bruce Willis), naming himself after their meeting venue, for a mission. A busy Trench passes the contract to Ross, which is to overthrow dictator General Garza (Zayas) in Vilena, an island in the Gulf of Mexico. Ross and Christmas fly to Vilena for initial undercover reconnaissance and meet their contact, Sandra (Itié), but are discovered. It is then revealed that ex-CIA officer James Munroe (Roberts), with his henchmen Paine (Austin) and The Brit (Daniels), are deriding and keeping Garza in power as a figurehead for their own profiteering operations, while Sandra is revealed to be Garza's daughter. Ross aborts and causes casualties among the army as they escape, but Sandra refuses to leave Vilena and let her people suffer. Meanwhile, a vengeful Jensen approaches Munroe to help and Garza is angered further when Sandra is captured by Munroe, who has her waterboarded for information. Lacy has been physically abused by her new man, so Christmas beats him and his friends, then takes her home, having revealed his work. Ross and the group discover that Mr. Church is a CIA operative and the real target is Munroe, who has gone rogue and joined forces with Garza to keep the drug money that funds the CIA to himself, resulting in profit losses for the CIA, but the CIA cannot afford a mission to kill one of their own directly because of bad publicity. Ross meets Expendables mission coordinator Tool (Rourke) to express his feelings. Tool makes an emotional confession about letting a woman commit suicide during the Bosnian War, instead of finding redemption by saving her. Ross is then motivated to go back for Sandra alone, but Yang accompanies him. Jensen and hired men pursue them on the road, ending in an abandoned warehouse, where Yang and Jensen fight a second time. Jensen attempts to impale Yang on a pipe, but Ross shoots him. A wounded Jensen makes amends and gives the layout of Garza's palace. Ross boards the plane with Yang and finds the rest of the team, ready to aid him. The team infiltrate Garza's compound. Thinking Munroe hired the Expendables to kill him, Garza has his soldiers' faces painted, preparing them for a fight. Christmas, Yang, Caesar, and Toll plant explosives throughout the site but Ross, while saving Sandra, is captured by the Brit and Paine. The team save him and kill the Brit, but are pinned down by Garza's men as Paine wrestles Ross. Caesar fights back and Paine escapes. Garza finally stands up to Munroe, ordering him out and returning his money. Instead, as Garza rallies his men against the Expendables and Munroe that he believes to be the same, Munroe kills him and takes off with Paine and Sandra. Garza's men open fire in rage against the team, who fight their way through, detonating the explosives, demolishing the palace and destroying the compound. Toll kills Paine by burning him alive while Ross and Caesar manage to destroy a helicopter before Munroe can escape. Ross and Christmas catch up to Munroe, killing him and saving Sandra. Later, Ross gifts the mission payment to Sandra to restore Vilena. The team travels back home and celebrate at Tool's tattoo parlor, with the recovering and redeemed Jensen. Christmas and Tool have a game of knife throwing and Christmas recites a limerick about Tool, then throws a bullseye from the street. Cast *Sylvester Stallone as Barney Ross *Jason Statham as Lee Christmas *Jet Li as Yin Yang *Dolph Lundgren as Gunner Jensen *Randy Couture as Toll Road *Terry Crews as Hale Caesar *Mickey Rourke as Tool Other *Eric Roberts as James Munroe *Steve Austin as Dan Paine *David Zayas as General Garza *Giselle Itié as Sandra Garza *Gary Daniels as Lawrence "The Brit" Sparks *Charisma Carpenter as Lacy *Amin Joseph as Pirate Leader *Senyo Amoaku as Tall Pirate *Lauren Jones as Cheyenne Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger appear in uncredited cameos as Mr. Church and Trench Mauser, respectively, although Willis was credited on the poster. The film features mixed martial artists fighters Antônio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira and Antônio Rogério "Minotouro" Nogueira as Garza's bodyguards and Lateef Crowder Dos Santos in stunts. Category:Films Category:2010 release Category:The Expendables series Category:Arnold Schwarzenegger films Category:Terry Crews films Category:Jason Statham films Category:Bruce Willis films Category:Sylvester Stallone films Category:Dolph Lundgren films Category:Eric Roberts films Category:Steve Austin films Category:Mickey Rourke films Category:Charisma Carpenter films